


A Tail to Tell

by Scarpath



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, Mer Fell
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-10-17
Packaged: 2019-08-03 15:55:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16329044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarpath/pseuds/Scarpath
Summary: When pushed off the cruise ship, Sans expects to die. However, he caught someone's eye, and attention.





	A Tail to Tell

_ ‘So that’s it, huh?’ _ Sans gazed up at the boat, seeing the smug look of a human. A human who’d pushed him off the boat, knowing skeletons can’t swim. Sans hadn’t had the time to make a fuss, it’d be a miracle if anyone had caught the shocked shout Sans had given when he found himself in the air, falling down to the water.

 

Sans closed his eyes, almost peacefully. It would take a while until the lack of air took its toll, but not long enough for him to somehow get to the surface. The marrow that filled his bones made him sink lower and lower.

 

The lack of air became more and more annoying, and Sans’ awareness started to fade. The last thing he felt was a pair of warm arms seeming to wrap around him.  _ ‘Huh, never knew the embrace of death was a literal embrace.’ _

 

~~~~

 

Sans blearily opened his eyes. He was met with blackness, and sparked one of his sockets to provide more light. “Woah.”

 

He was in a cave underwater. It was gorgeous, with stones sparkling in the light of his eye. He noticed a pool of water to the side, deep enough that it was likely the way out of the cave.

 

Then he remembered what happened before.

 

How was he not dead? Had someone saved him? 

 

Sans sat up with a groan, resolving to just keep an eye on the water. If he had been saved, the person who saved him would come eventually. The thought was proven correct when a red light grew closer and closer.

 

It was... a skeleton mer? Sans wasn’t sure what he expected, but it was certainly not that. Still, he didn’t know  _ why _ the mer had saved him, so it’d be wise to be careful. When the mer broke the surface of the water, Sans raised a hand and said a casual “Hello.”

 

“Oh good, yer awake. Cool. So, fer some odd reason my bro seems to have taken a likin’ to yer. You hurt him, and I’ll make ya wish he’d left ya ta drown.” The second the mer finished speaking, he darted back into the water. Sans was left reeling.

 

_ ‘Taken a liking to...?’ _ Sans tried to come up with a good answer as to why a mer of all things would be interested in  _ him. _ Was it just because he was a surface dweller? Still, he’d at least give the guy his ear. His brother had given Sans the ‘don’t hurt my brother’ talk, even. He owed it to the guy who saved his life.

 

Sans sneezed, and realized that he was shivering. The cave was cold, and Sans was still very damp from his trip through the water. He must have gotten sick.

 

He waited for someone to come nervously. If he didn’t warm up soon, he be in, heh, deep water.

 

No one came.

 

Sans laid on his side, facing the entrance of the cave. Eventually he couldn’t keep awake any longer. He drifted asleep, shivering long gone.

 

~~~~

 

“Yo boss, yer pet’s awake.” Fell gave his brother a curt nod. He abandoned his hunt, and hoped the lone fish he had caught would be enough of a gift for the little skeleton he’d saved. He prepared for the long swim back to the cave he’d stored the little guy in.

 

He got back about half an hour later. He poked his head into the cave, ready to welcome his little guest. He frowned when he saw the skeleton on its side, sleeping. Red had said he was awake.

 

Fell reached to gently shake the little skeleton. He frown deepened when he got no response. Was the surface dweller supposed to be that cold? Fell did a quick CHECK to be sure everything was alright. He swore when he saw the stats.

 

Sans 

HP 0.02/1.0 ATK 1 DEF 1

_ *Too cold. _

 

Fell hopped out of the water, and moved to hold Sans. He started pouring healing magic into the little guy. When it didn’t completely work, he moved to also wrap his tail around him to help warm him.

 

He wouldn’t forgive himself if Sans died because he failed to provide something so vital.

 

He poured more and more magic into the legged skeleton, until he couldn’t provide any more magic. He could only hope he did enough as he passed out from magic exhaustion.

 

~~~~

 

Sans woke up much warmer than when he had gone to sleep. He opened his eyes slowly, and was met with the sight of the source of that warmth. He flushed when he realized he was being held by a tall mer. There was a beautiful crimson tail wrapped around his legs, helping keep him warm.

 

Sans assumed that this was his savior, for both near death experiences. The guy was asleep, so Sans just awkwardly laid there, not wanting to wake the mer.

 

He looked up at the roof of the cave, making patterns like constellations in the reflective gems. He saw one that reminded him of Papyrus, and nearly jolted at the thought. Papyrus! He must think Sans was dead by now.

 

Sans reached for his pocket carefully so as not to wake the mer. He pulled out his phone, and prayed that the waterproofing Alphys had done on it protected it. He pressed the button. It came to life, and he even had a signal!

 

He pulled up the phone app, and hovered a finger over the button to call Papyrus. He hesitated, trying to come up with what to say.

 

With a mournful noise, he put the phone aside. He couldn’t come up with any excuse that didn’t include the two mer. He’d just put their lives in danger. And he wouldn’t do that to them, not to the people who he owed his life.

 

Tears stung in his eyes, and he pulled up his pictures. He looked through all the pictures of Papyrus and their friends. He’d probably never see them again. With a heavy heart, he put his phone back in his pocket. He turned into the embrace, taking whatever comfort he could get.

 

He’d just have to see why this mer had saved him.


End file.
